Authorities arrest radiologist for alleged role in opioid prescription scheme
California authorities arrested interventional radiologist Arash Padidar, MD, on Aug. 11 for his alleged role in an opioid prescription scheme.
The physician, who has offices in San Jose, is facing seven felony counts, among them obtaining opioids by fraud, unlawful use of personal information and issuing prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose. His misdeeds allegedly spanned the two years ending in October 2020 and involved the highly addictive pain medication hydrocodone, according to the Department of Justice.
“Doctors are trusted with the immense responsibility of protecting our health and our lives,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in an announcement. “When a bad actor exploits their position for personal gain, they not only shatter our trust, they harm vulnerable patients.”
Padidar’s alleged crimes included unlawfully obtaining the personal identifying information from another doctor, which he used to try and procure credit, goods, services, property and medical information without the colleague’s consent. The radiologist also allegedly stored a tally of illegal prescriptions he had written digitally. These were often filled at various local Walgreens or Savco pharmacies, according to the criminal complaint.
Other alleged instances include exchanging an envelope full of pills, meeting up to give written scripts away and placing a package inside a co-conspirator’s Mercedes. The complaint lists nearly 100 alleged “overt actions” that occurred during the two-year period, with the radiologist writing opioid orders for himself, his wife and his father every month.
“By spreading around the prescriptions in the name of various individuals and even using another doctor’s prescribing information, he fraudulently obtained the medication and concealed his activities from law enforcement and Dr. C,” the complaint states.
The investigation and arrest were handled by the DOJ’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse, which was tipped off by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Authorities emphasized that these criminal charges are only allegations at this stage of the process.
Padidar obtained his MD from Chicago Medical School and practiced at Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions in San Jose, Calif. He specializes in the treatment of stroke, cerebral aneurysms and carotid artery stenting, among other interventions, according to his profile on the practice’s webpage.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.